Heart Talk

Last night I went to a beautiful event called Hello Sunshine x Together Live. It’s like a mini conference meets storytelling event. This was my second year attending. In fact, last year’s event is actually what gave me the big push to finally believe in Her Bags Were Packed enough to launch (more on that another day). There were some amazing women in the lineup last night including literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, comedian Nicole Byer, actress Uma Thurman, singer songwriter MILCK, author and speaker Luvvie Ajayi, author and poet Cleo Wade, and one of my favorite authors Cheryl Strayed.

Before I left the house, I looked at the pile of books next to my bed and gave myself a quick talking to, “You will not buy any new books tonight. You will not buy any new books tonight. You have too many to read already. Do not buy any new books tonight.”

But then Cleo Wade took the stage. She was beautiful and soft spoken and without a single grand gesture entranced the room with her words. I Think About Love, a poem from her new book, Heart Talk, speaks to our deepest desires, the ones that tie all of humanity together. Our longing to be known and feel connected, our need to feel safe and our desire to provide security to those we love. It talks about romantic love and familial love, friendship love and self love.

When she finished reading, I was the first person out to the merch booth to buy Heart Talk.

In the introduction, Cleo writes, “I hope that in reading this book, you will be reminded of your strength, reintroduced to your resilience, and reconnected with your personal power and love of self. And if you would like to treat this book less like a book and more like a friend or companion, I would like that very much.”

That’s what this book is. It’s a friend quietly nudging you and reminding you that you are loved, that you matter and that you have something of great value to offer the world. If you’re looking for a great gift idea for a friend, order them a copy of this beautiful book of wisdom and inspiration. And until you’re able to grab your copy (which, seriously, you should do!) here are ten quotes from the book to jump start your self love this week.

P.S. If you do decide to purchase Heart Talk, please consider purchasing it through one of the links in this blog. As an Amazon Associate/Affiliate I may receive a percentage and you will be getting the book for only $14 (I paid $18). Thank you!